Ethics?

[PacksOfLies]

What is the definition of ethics in photography?

Sigh...

What acts do you consider as not ethical?
1) Pay those people suffering from poverty in those third world countries in return for some "good" portraiture shots to reflect their condition of living?

2) To exploit the title of "official photographer" to get your "exclusive shots" and to take full advantage of the situation?

3) To take pictures of people in the public and post them online with your own understanding of the picture or to add in your own "facts" that will distort the absolute truth

4) Blah blah blah...

 

[jeremyspk]

Hi PacksofLies,
you seem distressed
Ethics...
Hmmm... Perhaps to re-phrase... How about principles?
It is difficult unless we truly know the intentions of the one who shoot that picture.
If a picture speaks more than just words, the life of the photographer should speaks more his pictures.
Some pursue the aesthetics and excellence, while some pursue justice and hope.
What's ethical and what's not, perhaps, it depends on the motives of the person, more than just abiding to the strictures or crossing the regulatory boundary.
2cents worth

 

[Blazegal]

to add on to the confusion, if you want to take pictures of strangers, how do you go about doing it? ask them for permission? sneak a quick shot? I always wonder at this...advise yah!

 

[Yatlapball]

What is the definition of ethics in photography?

Sigh...

What acts do you consider as not ethical?
1) Pay those people suffering from poverty in those third world countries in return for some "good" portraiture shots to reflect their condition of living?

2) To exploit the title of "official photographer" to get your "exclusive shots" and to take full advantage of the situation?

3) To take pictures of people in the public and post them online with your own understanding of the picture or to add in your own "facts" that will distort the absolute truth

4) Blah blah blah...

1 - Are you really giving them money because you sympathise with them or merely because you want to take their photo? I personally refrain from taking a picture of them in such instances. There are tons of social problems here in Indonesia, beggers, anak jalanan (children who are out on the streets begging), poor destitute people on the streets, etc. But in the past 10 months I have been here, I've not taken a single picture depicting them. Maybe its just me, but unless I'm covering it as an article, I think they should be given at least a measure of respect.

2 - Exploit? What is there to exploit? By you saying official photographer, I think you would be on assignment. Which means it is your duty to get the shot. All the better since you are being granted exclusive rights(?) to be there shooting.

3 - If you're talking about reportage or journalism, so long I think there is no distortion of the truth in your photograph (i.e. clone stamping away things. there's some recent hoo-haa amongst the NPPA about this. Some PJ accidentally submitted a manipulated photo for print), there shouldn't be any problem. Related to this would be accurate and appropriate captioning.

4 - If going up to ask for permission would spoil the moment, grab the shot first. If not, it would always be nice to say hello and ask for permission. Always remember, treat your subject with respect even when confronted by them in a less than nice manner. A smile and a wave goes a long way to dispelling any animosity.

 

[Yatlapball]

You might be interested in reading this too.

http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/1742

 

[PacksOfLies]

There's a couple of things I wanted to shoot... but i just cannot bring myself to shoot...

 

[GeNeZ]

There's a couple of things I wanted to shoot... but i just cannot bring myself to shoot...

Oh??
Like what? :lovegrin:

 

[SnapJaX]

There's a couple of things I wanted to shoot... but i just cannot bring myself to shoot...

"Fear..Keeps THOUSANDS of pictures from passing through the lens."
` John Durniak

 

[Yatlapball]

No lar. Sometimes it's not fear. Just well.... something else.